Labeled-can drier.



R. SGHILLING.

LABELED CAN DRIER. APPLICATION FiLED MAY 6, 1908.

@331 3 I S Patented Nov. 2, 1909.

WITNESSES. l

. L6 flaw-07C RUDOLPH SCHILLING, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

LABELED-CAN DRIER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH Sci-uLLINc,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county ofAlameda and State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Labeled- Can Driers, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for the drying oflabels on cans or similar vessels as the same are passed therethrough,the object being to maintain the labeled cans or vessels bearing thesame serial number in independent groups or as sortments of labeled cansor vessels as passed through the drier, so as to retain the identity ofeach group.

The invention is mainly designed for use in such packing establishmentsas give to each box or packing case containing the canned goods, and tothe allotment of canned goods for such box or package the same serialnumber. It is therefore essential, and in fact imperative that theidentity of each group or allotment of labeled cans or vessels bepreserved as carried through the drier, so that as the same aresuccessively discharged at the lower end of the drier the operatorreceiving them may at once ascertain by reference to the serial numberthereof to which numbered box or packing case the received group oflabeled cans or vessels belongs, thus obviating the confusion whichwould follow the non-grouping of the cans or vessels passed through thedrier.

To comprehend the invention reference should be had to the accompanyingsheet of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of thedrier partly broken away. Fig. 2 is an end view of the drier, thehousing for the air fan being partly broken away to illustrate thecommunication of the air outlets of the drier with the out-let channelsof the air fan houslIl Tn the drawings, the numeral 1, in the presentcase, is used to designate a plurality of downwardly inclined open endedrunways, each being provided with the tracks 2, on which work the carsor trucks 3. In F ig. l of the drawings, three such cars or trucks areillustrated, one of which is filled with labeled cans or vessels 4.However, it will be understood that each car or truck 3 as placed withinthe respective runways contains a given number of labeled cans or ves-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 6, 1908.

Patented Nov. 2, 1909. Serial No. 431,205.

sels as a group, which cars or trucks are forced through the runwaysfrom one end of the drier to the discharge end thereof in order to drythe labels placed onto the cans or vessels contained on the cars ortrucks.

The filled cars or trucks are forced through the runways of the drier bythe insertion of a fresh filled car or truck, which bearing against theend of the last inserted car or truck, on a slight pressure beingexerted thereon, forces the line of filled cars or trucks to movedownward or advance within the runways the length approximately of thefilled car or truck entering therein, the line of cars or trucks beingthus gradually moved toward the lower or discharge end of the runway.The downward inclination of the runways aids the easy movement of theline of filled cars or trucks, so that but slight pressure is requiredto propel the entire line of the filled cars or trucks.

As one filled car or truck reaches the platform 5, outside of the lowerdischarge end of the drier, the same is removed by an operator stationedto receive the same, and the cans or vessels with their labels properlydried taken from off the car or truck and placed in the box or packingcase designed to receive the same, the empty car or truck being returnedto the labeling operator stationed at the upper or receiving end of thedrier.

Each car or truck contains the same number of labeled cans or vessels,which is the required number or group for a given box or packing case.The reason for placing the same number of labeled cans or vessels oneach car or truck, is that each can or vessel of a group of labeled cansor vessels contains the same serial number, which number correspondswith the serial number given to the box or packing case into which thesaid group of labeled cans or vessels is to be packed for shipment.Inasmuch as each box or packing case is given a different serial number,and as each group of labeled cans or vessels contains a different serialnumber, it is essential that the integrity of each group of cans orvessels be preserved, which is accomplished by placing the labeled cansor vessels onto the cars or trucks in groups, each can or vessel of anyone group containing the same serial number, so that when a loaded caror truck reaches the discharge end of the drier, the operator receivingthe same has only to glance at the serial number of the group of cans orvessels to ascertain into which of the boxes or packing cases the entiregroup of cans or vessels contained thereon is to be packed.

Above the drier midway the length thereof, a housing 6, for an air fan 7is located. Vith the interior of the housing communicate the airchannels 9, which, in turn, communicate with the runways of the drier bymeans of the outlet openings 8 in each runway. \Vithin the housing 6 islocated the air fan 7, which is driven by a belt working over the pulley10 on the shaft 11, or by any other suitable means. As the fan 7 isrevolved at a high rate of speed within its housing, it creates a strongsuction, which draws air into the respective runways through each openend thereof, which air is drawn toward the center of the runways andinto the housing 6 through the air channels 8, entering said channelsthrough the outlets 9 in each runway. The current of air thus enteringthe runways from each end thereof, passes over the cans or vesselscontained on the cars or trucks 3 passing therethrough, and quicklydries the labels applied to said cans or vessels.

The cars or trucks 3 while being filled with cans or vessels freshlylabeled, rest on the platform 12, projecting beyond the receiving end ofthe drier, which car or truck, when filled with cans or vessels properlylabeled, is shoved downwardly by the operator into its runway, andanother empty car or truck placed on the said platform to receive itsload.

A simple, effective, and cheap aoparatus for the drying of labelsroncans or vessels as propelled therethrough in grouping is thus produced.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be pro tected by Letters Patent is In an apparatus of the characterdescribed, the combination of a substantially rectangular frame havingunobstructed openings at its ends, and apair of oppositely disposedopenings extending transversely across the top, the frame beingotherwise free from openings and the top openings being ar rangedsubstantially midway of the length of the frame, a casing supported onthe top of the frame between the openings, the opposite walls of thecasing constituting one wall of a housing extending transversely acrossthe top, the opposite wallof the housing be ing arranged outside of thetop openings, and connecting with the casing which latter has openingsin its opposite walls, a rotary shaft extending through the housing andthe opening in the casing, a fan within the cas ing carried by theshaft, vertical partitions in the frame separating the latter into aseries of truck compartments and tracks in' each compartment, theflooring for the tracks projecting outwardly through the unobstructedopenings atthe ends of the frame to a substantial distance therebeyond.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

RUDOLPH SCHILLING.

lVitnesses N.'A. AoKnn, D. 13. RICHARDS.

